The German MMORPG Albion Online celebrated its 8th anniversary in 2025. However, this seems to be just the beginning. In a current video, the game presents a new roadmap for spring and summer 2026.
Albion Online is a free MMORPG from the studio Sandbox Interactive, based in Berlin. Since 2017, the game has been playable on PC, and since 2021 also on mobile devices. On July 17, 2025, the 8th anniversary was even celebrated. In a new YouTube video from January 21, 2026, the roadmap for spring and summer 2026 was presented.
However, before that, Realm Divided Part 2 will continue on February 23, 2026. On that day, new features for faction battles will be introduced: with the new faction standards, items must be brought to an outpost. This way, you can earn faction points.
Furthermore, the bandit raids will be revised. There will be 2 phases. In the first, there will be a major conflict across all deadly provinces, and in the second phase, it will be reduced to two deadly provinces.
In spring, things will continue.
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Albion Online presents major rogue update in trailer
Visual Overhaul, Xbox Version, and Dragons
What’s next for Albion Online in 2026? The next content update is scheduled for April. With the spring update, there will be a visual overhaul of the open world. Game Director Moritz Bokelmann talks about making the world more atmospheric and also more readable.
With the armory, a new tool will be introduced, and PvP enthusiasts can look forward to a new 1-v-1 arena. As part of the update, there will also be adjustments to performance.
Shortly thereafter, a new version of the game will be released on the Xbox console. According to the video, they have revised the UI for this. Additionally, it is said that this version will be a first step for further console expansions. This version will also be cross-platform.
In summer, there will be a Guardian event, a sort of limited-time season. On Steam, it is compared to the Avalonian invasion in 2019. No further information is available at this time.
The big highlight in summer will likely be the dragons, which will be included in the MMORPG for the first time. According to Michael Schwahn, the co-creative director of the game, dragons simply belong in a fantasy MMO, which is why they are finally to be implemented in Albion Online.
Not much is known about them yet, but they are to be significant, memorable goals for players and offer new opportunities for exploration, PvP, and PvE.
IShowSpeed, real name Darren Watkins, is huge on YouTube and Twitch, and particularly popular among a young audience. MeinMMO shows how the 21-year-old transformed from a scandalous streamer to a global sensation.
What kind of streamer is he? IShowSpeed was an extremely controversial streamer in 2021/2022, seemingly stumbling from one scandal to another. He gained popularity with his chaotic and entertaining clips, but repeatedly exhibited outburst behavior and often went over the line:
In 2021, Twitch banned him indefinitely after he made sexually aggressive comments towards an influencer. However, the ban didn’t affect his popularity, and IShowSpeed rapidly became one of the biggest streamers on YouTube.
Yet in recent years, IShowSpeed has shown a development that few would have expected.
Start video
He barks at 6-year-olds and sets his room on fire – Who is IShowSpeed?
Traveling instead of Outbursts: IShowSpeed Conquers the World
What is the status of IShowSpeed in 2026? IShowSpeed, who celebrated his 21st birthday on January 21, 2026, is currently one of the biggest streamers around. His streams on YouTube average over 100,000 viewers (source: Stream Hatchet), and on Twitch, he is one of the fastest-growing streamers (see SullyGnome).
While he previously made headlines for his outbursts, the streamer now represents cool and elaborate streaming projects. His travels are particularly noteworthy. Currently, IShowSpeed is on a major Africa tour, planning to visit 20 countries in 28 days.
Previously, he had traveled to Europe, the USA, and Asia. In China, they were apparently so proud of his visit that the restaurants and attractions he visited now use his appearance for promotions.
The concept seems to be working, as the streamer now has a huge fan base worldwide. And even his former critics have to admit: it’s damn good content.
Between Drama and Reactions, IShowSpeed Impresses with Originality
What makes IShowSpeed’s development so positive? In a way, the now 21-year-old represents a kind of counter-movement to the general development of the streaming scene.
On Twitch, the reaction meta dominates, where streamers mainly react to the content of others and add their two cents. This often goes hand in hand with “drama” content, as every dispute among influencers is, of course, played out publicly and serves as the basis for further reactions.
Original content, on the other hand, seems to be rarer among established streamers: It requires more effort, is more expensive, and thus presents a greater risk.
In contrast, IShowSpeed still creates “real” content: He travels the world, provides insights into other cultures, and even performs educational work in his own way, for example, when he learns about the diamond trade in Botswana (via X) or the colonial past of coffee (via X).
Even Former Critics Find Something to Appreciate about the Streamer
All of this happens in the characteristically loud and energetic manner of IShowSpeed, and certainly not everyone can appreciate it. However, some comments under a thread on Reddit show how the perception of the streamer has changed:
Reflective: “I was always annoyed when I saw his clips back then. Now, I can’t help but smile because he is always doing something uplifting.”
Lontology: “Speed’s positive development is one of the only great things I’ve seen on Twitch.”
Purple_Deers: “Why go out and make funny, entertaining, interesting, transformative streams while discovering the world when you can just be a worn-out APRG streamer who reacts on YouTube all day or a political streamer who ‘debates’ with viewers in an echo chamber and never leaves the house?”
Note: IShowSpeed often still appears somewhat thoughtless, especially when it comes to handling animals. A clip is currently circulating on Reddit, in which he interacts with a chained monkey in Morocco, a form of tourist attraction that is critically viewed by animal rights advocates, see for example National Geographic.
Also elsewhere, success shows how much viewers seem to long for original projects and cool concepts:
In Hytale crafting is an essential part of the game. To have an overview, MeinMMO has compiled all crafting recipes for you.
How does crafting work in Hytale? The recipes you need to craft weapons, tools, and everything else in Hytale will be displayed to you at the workbenches. However, only after you have built them.
To have a better overview and possibly decide what you want to work towards when unlocking workbenches, we give you an overview of the recipes. We have categorized the recipes into different categories.
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Start video
Hytale feiert erfolgreichen Early-Access-Release mit 2,8 Millionen Spielern
Tip: To reduce wear on your tools as much as possible, you should always have a repair kit ready. This allows you to restore the durability of a tool without needing to craft a new one. It also works for weapons and armor.
The world of Hytale offers numerous crafting opportunities while exploring a vast world. In the large world, there are many creatures that you can find. We have compiled a list of mobs that you may encounter in the block world: Hytale: All mobs in the game and where to find them
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Aniimo is an upcoming Creature Collector that resembles games like Genshin Impact. What creatures are known so far and what is known about them, you can read here.
What do we know about Aniimo? In the eponymous action RPG, you can catch various beings and travel with up to four of them at the same time through the open world. Similar to Pokémon or Palworld, the different beings are recorded in the so-called Aniilog and numbered.
As in the collection model, individual Aniimo can evolve and belong to different elements. Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Ice, Lightning, Plant, Light, and Dark are known so far. Some of them also have different colors and variants, for example, in different areas or at different times of the day.
The existing beta showed the highest numbering of #62. How many there will be in the finished game is still unclear. Which Aniimo are already known, what their elements are, and which ones you can receive right at the start, you can read here.
The information in this article refers to the state of the beta version of Aniimo. When the full version is supposed to be released is currently still unknown. However, the release is expected to take place in 2026.
This article will be continuously updated as new information becomes available. So feel free to check back regularly.
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Aniimo shows in the trailer for the closed beta how good the monster collector looks
What starters are there in Aniimo?
In Aniimo, there are no classic starters in the traditional sense during the beta. Instead, there are two ways you can encounter your first beings and welcome them into your team.
Right at the beginning, after you complete the first tutorials, you will be faced with a crucial choice: You will encounter two talking Aniimo from whom you must choose which one you want to save.
You have the choice between:
Lunara – a Light Fox that primarily attacks opponents at range and can heal, dealing larger area damage
Helion – a Light Lion that shines primarily in melee combat and deals heavy damage in a smaller radius while being able to take damage well
At the beginning, you can choose between Helion and Lunara.
Here you can choose based on your preferences and play style. No matter whom you choose – the other one will go into the hands of your rival. Thus, one could consider these two as starters.
However, you can also secure some Aniimos during the tutorial beforehand. To learn how to do that, the game allows you to catch an Embercub (Fire) as your first companion. Afterwards, you will be released into an open meadow where you can find the following Aniimos:
Celestis (Dark)
Hummin (Plant)
Skippy (Water)
Embercub is your very first Aniimo.
All known Aniimo so far and their numbers in the Aniilog
#001 Emberpup (Fire)
#002 Flameruff (Fire)
#003 Scorchhowl (Fire)
#004 Celestis (Dark)
#005 Stellarys (Dark)
#006 Hummin (Plant)
#007 Witchin (Dark, Plant)
#008 Tuckin (Plant)
#009 Skippy (Water)
#010 Pranky (Water)
#011 Glacy (Water, Ice)
#012 Leafy (Water, Plant)
#013 Iris (Plant)
#014 Irisal (Plant)
#015 Nimbi (Wind)
#016 Turbo (Wind)
#017 Fluttermym (Wind)
#018 Gracewing (Wind)
#019 Somniwing (Wind, Plant)
#020 Chirpy (Wind)
#021 Tromber (Wind, Plant)
#022 Corneter (Wind, Water)
#023 Tubster (Wind)
#024 Budclaw (Earth, Plant)
#025 Shrubclaw (Earth)
#026 Geoclaw (Ice)
#027 Bulbly (Lightning)
#028 Veilfloat (Lightning)
#029 Luminelle (Lightning)
#030 Susuta (Water)
#031 Popota (Water)
#032 Piopiota (Water)
#033 Panpata (Water)
#034 Shelly (Water)
#035 Sheldon (Water)
#036 Sherro (Water)
#037 Pebbling (Earth)
#038 Geodeback (Earth)
#039 Minespine (Earth)
#040 Bolty (Lightning)
#041 Blazen (Lightning)
#042 Bonesky (Ice)
#043 Fenrier (Ice)
#044 Glynsera (Ice)
#045 Wisptis (Dark)
#046 Ignitis (Dark)
#047 Helmut (Dark)
#048 Pawney (Dark)
#049 Rookey (Dark)
#050 Jawling (Wind)
#051 Helmwhelp (Wind)
#052 Helgon (Wind)
#053 Infergon (Fire)
#054 Budsquire (Plant)
#055 Thornblade (Plant)
#056 Sparki (Fire)
#057 Flamerion (Fire)
#058 Dewy (Dark)
#059 Fragrancier (Dark)
#060 Baleetle (Earth)
#061 Waleetle (Earth)
#062 Besauce (Lightning)
Aniimo with currently unknown Aniilog number:
Lunara
Fennelun
Helion
Blazing Sun Lion
It will probably be a while until the release. To test the game thoroughly in advance, the developers invite players to beta phases from time to time. Perhaps you will get the chance to dive into the new monster collector in due time. Whether there is currently a beta and what else you need to know about the game, you can read here: Aniimo – All important information about release, platforms, and beta
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A new Anime has started this season, which is actually only for fans of the series. However, fans find it so good that it sits at number 3 of the best current new releases.
Which anime is it about? By now, the first episodes of all the animes starting this season have begun. One of them is Fate/strange Fake. The series takes place a few years after Fate/stay night. Here, wizards in the USA attempt to copy a Japanese ritual.
Once again, a Holy Grail War is at the center of attention. It’s basically a magical battle royale to the death. The participants are divided into pairs: one Master, a wizard, and one Servant, basically a benevolent spirit from the past. The last remaining pair gets to use the energy of the Holy Grail to make a wish come true.
This time, however, the setting isn’t Japan, but the fictional American city of Snowfield. Unlike the Grail War that took place a few years prior, things are going wrong:
The Saber class cannot initially be summoned
Strange, extremely powerful Servants are summoned
The system begins to correct itself amid all the chaos, and simultaneously initiates a true Holy Grail War
The chaos leads to many more services than usual competing against each other, factions mixing, and absolutely overpowering beings clashing.
Start video
Fate/strange Fake: Trailer of the chaotic Holy Grail War in the anime
New anime is not for beginners, but it is well received
How well is Fate/strange Fake received? When looking only at the animes that started in 2026, Fate/strange Fake ranks third among the highest-rated series on MyAnimeList. Above it are only Season 2 of Frieren, which is currently topping itself, and Season 3 of Jujutsu Kaisen.
Currently, the rating stands at 8.48 out of 10 possible points (as of January 21, 2026). Not as many votes have come in as for the animes above it, which, however, shows that Fate/strange Fake is a real gem among the new animes.
Is it something for beginners? If you want to watch the anime right away, we need to slow you down a bit. If you have no connection to the universe, you should catch up on the following animes first:
Fate/Zero
Fate/stay night
This way, you will get to know the character Gilgamesh, how he ticks, and why he is so powerful. Without this knowledge, many of his scenes lose their impact. You should also be familiar with the basic rulebook of the “Holy Grail War”. Otherwise, the chaos won’t have the same impact as it does in the anime.
In 2026, there are more blockbuster titles launching this year. If you have little time, it’s hard to watch all these series. The most important animes to keep an eye on are listed by us on MeinMMO: 7 animes that will make 2026 one of the best years for fans
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Medals in Pokémon GO can take quite a bit of time to acquire. What types exist and how to obtain them has been compiled for you by MeinMMO.
What are medals? You receive medals in Pokémon GO when you reach certain milestones in the game. Some medals are obtained naturally over time, while others require a bit more effort. Each medal comes in bronze, silver, gold, and platinum variants.
What are medals used for? If you want to reach levels 71 to 80 in Pokémon GO, you must collect a specific number of platinum medals alongside completing certain tasks.
Where can I find medals? If you want to know which medals you already have and what your progress is, you can simply look at them in the game. To do this, click on your avatar’s head in the game and scroll down.
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Start video
Pokémon GO shows its new season in the trailer
All current medals at a glance
For better clarity, we have categorized all current medals so you can get a quick overview.
All medals found in the following categories count towards the requirements for levels 71 to 80.
General Medals
Name
Bronze
Silver
Gold
Platinum
Backpacker
Visit 100 PokéStops
Visit 1,000 PokéStops
Visit 2,000 PokéStops
Visit 50,000 PokéStops
Heir
Trigger Mega Evolution once on a Pokémon
Trigger Mega Evolution 50 times on a Pokémon
Trigger Mega Evolution 500 times on a Pokémon
Trigger Mega Evolution 1,000 times on a Pokémon
Redeemer
Redeem 5 Shadow Pokémon
Redeem 50 Shadow Pokémon
Redeem 500 Shadow Pokémon
Redeem 1,000 Shadow Pokémon
Researcher
Evolve 3 Pokémon
Evolve 20 Pokémon
Evolve 200 Pokémon
Evolve 2,000 Pokémon
Mega Evolution Guru
Trigger Mega Evolution on one species of Pokémon
Trigger Mega Evolution on 24 different species of Pokémon
Trigger Mega Evolution on 36 different species of Pokémon
Trigger Mega Evolution on 46 different species of Pokémon
Jogger
Walk 10 km
Walk 100 km
Walk 1,000 km
Walk 10,000 km
Photographer
Have 10 surprise encounters in GO Snapshot
Have 50 surprise encounters in GO Snapshot
Have 200 surprise encounters in GO Snapshot
Have 400 surprise encounters in GO Snapshot
Picnicker
Use a Lure Module to help a trainer catch 5 Pokémon
Use a Lure Module to help a trainer catch 25 Pokémon
Use a Lure Module to help a trainer catch 500 Pokémon
Use a Lure Module to help a trainer catch 2,500 Pokémon
Pokémon Ranger
Complete 10 Field Research tasks
Complete 100 Field Research tasks
Complete 1,000 Field Research tasks
Complete 2,500 Field Research tasks
Professional Navigator
Routes completed: 10 times
Routes completed: 50 times
Routes completed: 200 times
Routes completed: 600 times
Collector
Catch 30 Pokémon
Catch 500 Pokémon
Catch 2,000 Pokémon
Catch 50,000 Pokémon
Showcase Star
Win a PokéStop Showcase
Win 10 PokéStop Showcases
Win 50 PokéStop Showcases
Win 100 PokéStop Showcases
Triathlete
Achieve a 7-day Pokémon catch or PokéStop spin streak
Achieve a 7-day Pokémon catch or PokéStop spin streak 10 times
Achieve a 7-day Pokémon catch or PokéStop spin streak 50 times
Achieve a 7-day Pokémon catch or PokéStop spin streak 100 times
Vacationer
Spin 10 different PokéStops
Spin 100 different PokéStops
Spin 1,000 different PokéStops
Spin 2,000 different PokéStops
Wayfarer
Earn 50 Wayfarer agreements
Earn 500 Wayfarer agreements
Earn 1,000 Wayfarer agreements
Earn 1,500 Wayfarer agreements
Breeder
Hatch 10 Eggs
Hatch 100 Eggs
Hatch 500 Eggs
Hatch 2,500 Eggs
Tips for these medals: Many of the medals in this category will naturally complete themselves over time as you simply play the game. However, a certain focus on individual medals may be necessary if you wish to complete them in platinum.
For the Redeemer medal, you should primarily set out during Rocket events to capture as many Shadow monsters from Team GO as possible. When redeeming, pay attention to the varying Stardust costs and that you will also need candies. For some monsters, you only need 1,000 Stardust.
To make significant progress on the Photographer medal, events where you can receive multiple surprise snapshots per day are ideal.
While the Picnicker medal progresses especially well during large events and in busy areas with many trainers, the Showcase Star medal requires more rural and less frequented areas.
You receive the Wayfarer medal when you use Niantic Wayfarer to submit or review PokéStops. You must first reach level 35 in the game to do this.
Pokédex Medals
For all Pokédex medals, you need to obtain a certain number of monsters from various regions to earn them.
Name
Bronze
Silver
Gold
Platinum
Kanto
Register 5 Pokémon in the Pokédex that were first discovered in the Kanto region
Register 50 Pokémon in the Pokédex that were first discovered in the Kanto region
Register 100 Pokémon in the Pokédex that were first discovered in the Kanto region
Register 151 Pokémon in the Pokédex that were first discovered in the Kanto region
Johto
Register 5 Pokémon in the Pokédex that were first discovered in the Johto region
Register 30 Pokémon in the Pokédex that were first discovered in the Johto region
Register 70 Pokémon in the Pokédex that were first discovered in the Johto region
Register 100 Pokémon in the Pokédex that were first discovered in the Johto region
Hoenn
Register 5 Pokémon in the Pokédex that were first discovered in the Hoenn region
Register 40 Pokémon in the Pokédex that were first discovered in the Hoenn region
Register 90 Pokémon in the Pokédex that were first discovered in the Hoenn region
Register 135 Pokémon in the Pokédex that were first discovered in the Hoenn region
Sinnoh
Register 5 Pokémon in the Pokédex that were first discovered in the Sinnoh region
Register 30 Pokémon in the Pokédex that were first discovered in the Sinnoh region
Register 80 Pokémon in the Pokédex that were first discovered in the Sinnoh region
Register 107 Pokémon in the Pokédex that were first discovered in the Sinnoh region
Unova
Register 5 Pokémon in the Pokédex that were first discovered in the Unova region
Register 50 Pokémon in the Pokédex that were first discovered in the Unova region
Register 100 Pokémon in the Pokédex that were first discovered in the Unova region
Register 156 Pokémon in the Pokédex that were first discovered in the Unova region
Kalos
Register 5 Pokémon in the Pokédex that were first discovered in the Kalos region
Register 25 Pokémon in the Pokédex that were first discovered in the Kalos region
Register 50 Pokémon in the Pokédex that were first discovered in the Kalos region
Register 72 Pokémon in the Pokédex that were first discovered in the Kalos region
Galar
Register 5 Pokémon in the Pokédex that were first discovered in the Galar region
Register 25 Pokémon in the Pokédex that were first discovered in the Galar region
Register 50 Pokémon in the Pokédex that were first discovered in the Galar region
Register 89 Pokémon in the Pokédex that were first discovered in the Galar region
Hisui
Register 1 Pokémon in the Pokédex that was first discovered in the Hisui region
Register 3 Pokémon in the Pokédex that were first discovered in the Hisui region
Register 5 Pokémon in the Pokédex that were first discovered in the Hisui region
Register 7 Pokémon in the Pokédex that were first discovered in the Hisui region
Paldea
Register 5 Pokémon in the Pokédex that were first discovered in the Paldea region
Register 30 Pokémon in the Pokédex that were first discovered in the Paldea region
Register 80 Pokémon in the Pokédex that were first discovered in the Paldea region
Register 103 Pokémon in the Pokédex that were first discovered in the Paldea region
Friendship and Trade Medals
Name
Bronze
Silver
Gold
Platinum
Best Buddy
Have 1 Best Buddy
Have 10 Best Buddies
Have 100 Best Buddies
Have 200 Best Buddies
Stage Star
Become Best Friends with 1 Trainer
Become Best Friends with 2 Trainers
Become Best Friends with 3 Trainers
Become Best Friends with 20 Trainers
Friend Finder
Refer a Trainer
Refer 10 Trainers
Refer 20 Trainers
Refer 50 Trainers
Gentleman
Trade 10 Pokémon
Trade 100 Pokémon
Trade 1,000 Pokémon
Trade 2,500 Pokémon
Pilot
Trade Pokémon over a total distance of 1,000 kilometers
Trade Pokémon over a total distance of 100,000 kilometers
Trade Pokémon over a total distance of 1,000,000 kilometers
Trade Pokémon over a total distance of 10,000,000 kilometers
Teamwork
Complete 10 team challenges
Complete 50 team challenges
Complete 100 team challenges
Complete 200 team challenges
Tips for these medals: To obtain the Best Buddy medal, you can trade your Buddy Pokémon 20 times each day. This way, you can complete quick tasks like playing together, giving it a snack, or taking a snapshot with multiple monsters each day.
For the Stage Star medal, the weekly challenges are ideal for earning additional friendship points.
To obtain the Friend Finder medal, you need to invite new players into the game using your referral code or trainers who have not been active in the game for at least 90 days. You can learn exactly how to do this on Niantic’s Helpshift page.
Battle Medals
Name
Bronze
Silver
Gold
Platinum
Gym Leader
Defend gyms for 10 hours
Defend gyms for 100 hours
Defend gyms for 1,000 hours
Defend gyms for 15,000 hours
Trainer Ace
Train 10 times
Train 100 times
Train 1,000 times
Train 2,000 times
Berry Master
Feed 10 berries in gyms
Feed 100 berries in gyms
Feed 1,000 berries in gyms
Feed 15,000 berries in gyms
Champion
Win 10 raids
Win 100 raids
Win 1,000 raids
Win 2,000 raids
Hero
Defeat 10 members of Team GO Rocket
Defeat 100 members of Team GO Rocket
Defeat 1,000 members of Team GO Rocket
Defeat 2,000 members of Team GO Rocket
Battle Legend
Win 10 Legendary raids
Win 100 Legendary raids
Win 1,000 Legendary raids
Win 2,000 Legendary raids
Fighter
Win 10 gym battles
Win 100 gym battles
Win 1,000 gym battles
Win 4,000 gym battles
Trainer Hope
Defeat 2 different Pokémon species in raids
Defeat 10 different Pokémon species in raids
Defeat 50 different Pokémon species in raids
Defeat 150 different Pokémon species in raids
Trainer Hopes
Win 10 raids with a friend
Win 100 raids with a friend
Win 1,000 raids with a friend
Win 2,000 raids with a friend
Raid Expert
Land on the raid battle leaderboard for trainer successes once
Land on the raid battle leaderboard for trainer successes 50 times
Land on the raid battle leaderboard for trainer successes 200 times
Land on the raid battle leaderboard for trainer successes 500 times
Ultra Hero
Defeat the boss of Team GO Rocket
Defeat the boss of Team GO Rocket 5 times
Defeat the boss of Team GO Rocket 20 times
Defeat the boss of Team GO Rocket 50 times
Super League Veteran
Win 5 trainer battles in the Super League
Win 50 trainer battles in the Super League
Win 200 trainer battles in the Super League
Win 1,000 trainer battles in the Super League
Hyper League Veteran
Win 5 trainer battles in the Hyper League
Win 50 trainer battles in the Hyper League
Win 200 trainer battles in the Hyper League
Win 1,000 trainer battles in the Hyper League
Master League Veteran
Win 5 trainer battles in the Master League
Win 50 trainer battles in the Master League
Win 200 trainer battles in the Master League
Win 1,000 trainer battles in the Master League
Tips for these medals: To obtain the Trainer Ace medal, you must complete training battles against the team leaders. To do this, go to the
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Actually, ARK: Survival Ascended was considered the unpopular twin of ARK: Survival Evolved, but the survival game is currently experiencing a kind of renaissance. This is also due to Twitch streamers.
Which game is it about? ARK: Survival Ascended is actually the unfavored successor to ARK: Survival Evolved and has a 59% positive rating from a total of 93,592 reviews on Steam. Despite the negative reviews, which often praise the performance of the survival game, player numbers have been increasing since December.
This is partly due to the DLC Ark: Lost Colony, which was released on December 19, 2025, and is considered a link to the long-awaited sequel Ark 2, both in terms of content and story. But German streamers are also responsible for the success.
Here you can watch a trailer for ARK: Survival Ascended:
Start video
ARK: Survival Ascended is revealed for the first time in the trailer
German Streamers in Dino Fever
What do German streamers have to do with the success? After the new expansion provided the occasion for a comeback to ARK: Survival Ascended, some German Twitch streamers have also gotten back into it.
German streamers Trymacs, Eliasn97, MontanaBlack, GTime, and Zarbex are currently playing the dino game together and are dominating the Twitch category according to Sullygnome.com.
In this joint project, the streamers are completing the survival game and trying to defeat a boss every night until they want to beat the final boss, the Overseer, at the end.
As is usual with streamers, there are also frequent disputes, annoyances, and trolls among them while everyone works towards the end goal together.
Only success through streamers? Even though the streamers are currently contributing greatly to the new dino hype, there are likely multiple reasons for the renewed success of ARK: Survival Ascended. The new DLC is also partly responsible for the hype.
Another reason for the recent upswing is likely the recent success of Hytale. Since its release a week ago, the survival game genre has become trendy again, fueling the dino game as well. On Sunday, January 18, the highest player count since the release was reached with over 50,000 players according to SteamDB.
Michael De Santa is one of the three playable protagonists from GTA 5 and has been an extremely famous video game character for over 12 years. Just like the game itself, Michael is also a bit older than he was at the release of the game. This raises the question for many fans whether he can be categorized as a Boomer.
How old is Michael? Michael De Santa is a very recognizable protagonist from GTA 5 and video games in general. The player Big_Leg10 asked in the GTA subreddit whether the former small-time criminal and family man is a Boomer, or if he belongs to Generation X.
To answer this question, one must first look at how old Michael actually is, or rather, when he was born. Michael was born in 1965, as can be seen from his false gravestone, which makes him 48 years old at the time of the release of GTA 5 in 2013. However, that doesn’t make the solution any easier.
Start video
MeinMMO and GameStar discuss the future of GTA 6
Michael is neither a clear Boomer nor a true Gen Xer
To which generation does Michael belong? The clear answer to this question is: neither. Or rather, both. Michael was born exactly in the very first year that can be assigned to Generation X. Had he been born a year earlier, in 1964, he would still officially be counted among the Baby Boomers.
Since this transition is so close, the community on Reddit, as well as many others in this transition period, refer to him as a so-called “Xoomer”.
All this calculation and research could have been spared by the players. Because Michael reveals in the game itself which generation he belongs to – and the word Xoomer is not mentioned there. However, the word judgment is mentioned much more often.
Where and when does Michael talk about his generation? In a small side mission in GTA 5, which can be seen here on YouTube, either Michael or Franklin can rescue a woman from the side of the road, where she is almost abducted by two strange men. After her rescue and on the way to her home, the woman talks about the Boomer generation and does not have a kind word to say. However, Michael is not bothered by this, as he himself refers to Boomers as “the worst generation in the history of the world”.
When the woman wants to apologize in case Michael is a Boomer himself, he reacts almost insulted: “No! I’m a hundred percent Gen X. Didn’t you notice how bitter and cynical I am? […] not even remotely like a real Boomer.”
The actor of Michael De Santa, Ned Luke, had to insult himself with these statements in the recording booth. He is indeed a Boomer with his birth year of 1958, although still a relatively young Boomer. He enjoys streaming on YouTube and Twitch. During one of his livestreams, a rather exciting incident occurred that has become normal for the actor: An actor from GTA 5 gets visited by the police so often that he already greets the cops friendly.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Hytale there are rare resources, and one of them is the Void Hearts. These are not just lying around and must be found by you. Where you should look for them is shown here.
Where can I find Void Hearts? To find Void Hearts, you need to defeat special enemies from the Void. These enemies are flying tentacle creatures called Void Eyes. They only spawn at night and in various biomes on your map. You can encounter them everywhere, but if you are not lucky in your search, you should narrow it down.
Instead of wandering wildly around the map, it would be beneficial to visit biomes that offer little terrain. The icy areas and deserts are especially worthwhile. There, you have a clear visibility of several meters and can spot the monsters much easier.
How do I best fight these monsters? These flying monsters are difficult to take down with melee weapons. Therefore, take a bow with arrows to hit them effectively. Also, be careful, as these monsters have minions that are on foot. They can distract you and, in the worst case, overwhelm you. So quickly defeat the flying monster to then take care of the minions.
Note that the drop chance for a Void Heart is not high. It may be that you need to defeat 3-5 specimens before you can grab a heart.
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What do I need Void Hearts for? You primarily need the Void Hearts for the “Level 3” upgrade of your Armorer’s Workbench. This allows you to craft Adamantite- or Mithril equipment. So this is the final upgrade of your workbench, giving you access to endgame equipment. Anyone who wants to become stronger cannot bypass this upgrade.
Of course, every player has a different weapon preference in combat, but if you’ve ever been curious about which weapon is truly the best, feel free to check out our list: Hytale: The best weapons in the Tier List
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Earn infinite money with a Switch 2. What sounds absurd actually worked for a short time at the US chain GameStop. A mistake allowed customers to accumulate unlimited credit by buying and selling a Switch 2. GameStop has fixed the error and commented on it.
The Nintendo Switch 2 was released in 2025 and brought many innovations compared to the Switch 1, but it is already possible to sell the console used. At the US chain GameStop, it was possible to “earn” unlimited money for a short time by buying a new Nintendo Switch 2 and then selling it immediately.
A used Switch 2 is suddenly worth more than a brand new Switch 2
How did the error work? GameStop explained the error itself in a detailed post on X.com, how exactly it worked:
Anyone who bought a Nintendo Switch 2 at GameStop for $414.99 and sold it immediately with a used game received a trade-in value of $472.50 for their Nintendo Switch 2. This way, one could make a profit of about $60 with each trade-in. This transaction could be repeated indefinitely, allowing one to theoretically “earn” infinite money.
GameStop has now stated that they have eliminated the bug and that no customer can exploit the error anymore. GameStop said that they welcome the creativity of buyers, but do not want to function as a money-printing machine:
GameStop is still committed to offering promotions that reward our customers, and while we embrace creativity, we want to remind everyone that our stores are not designed to function as infinite money-printing machines.
Are there consequences afterward? It is not known whether individuals who took advantage of this glitch will have to face consequences.
Nintendo wants to focus on the Switch 2. In the long run, this also means that the old Switch will no longer have a future. However, Nintendo still wants to sell both the old and new hardware for now.
The core of ARC Raiders is looting and leveling. The developers therefore removed a feature that would have harmed this principle.
What is this feature? Many games, especially MMOs, have an auction house. Here you can offer various items for sale or trade and also search for items you still need.
Trading is then primarily conducted between players. Thus, even without loot luck, you have the opportunity to upgrade, for example, a workbench if another player offers the needed materials in the auction house.
Now Virgil Watkins, the design lead of ARC Raiders, revealed in an interview with GamesRadar that the extraction shooter almost had an auction house, but the developers removed it because it would have ruined the game.
Start video
ARC Raiders zeigt im Launch-Trailer, wie der Kampf Mensch gegen Maschine aussieht
“You only go out to find the most valuable items“
How would this feature have ruined ARC Raiders? Watkins explains that Embark experimented with an auction house, but it changed the flow of the shooter:
“We had previously examined a trading system like [an auction house] and even partially built it. But in the end, it led to the game being all about coins. You only go out to find the most valuable items, exchange them [for coins] and just buy the things you actually want.”
Currently, in ARC Raiders, you find specific items mainly in designated locations. For example, if you want to upgrade your weapon station, you need rusted gears, among other things. You can find these in industrial loot zones like the Laugerhaus complex on the map “The Blue Gate”. Ideally, you go into a corresponding loot zone and search containers there, instead of just spawning on a map, wandering around aimlessly, and looting only what has the highest selling value.
Watkins notes that this game flow would have changed with an auction house:
“Suddenly, it almost doesn’t matter if you go out, explore the right place, and search the right containers – or have that cool feeling: ‘Oh, finally! This is exactly what I needed, and now I can do the other thing I wanted to do with it.'”
So could there still be trading: If players currently want to “trade” in ARC Raiders, they simply drop items on the ground. While that is okay, Watkins also talks about an alternative: “We definitely want to implement an offer where you hold up the item and someone actually interacts with it in your hand, to take it from you.”
This is what the community says: On Reddit, the removal of the auction house is being discussed by some community members. One user is convinced that it would have completely stopped one of the fundamental elements of the game – finding loot and then successfully extracting it.
Some players also believe that marketplaces and auction houses have already harmed other games like Diablo 3 and Dark and Darker. Many therefore support the developers’ decision.
The maps of Hytale are vast. It is even more convenient that you can save valuable time using portals. We explain how to do it here.
How do you get teleporters? In order to use portals or teleporters, you must upgrade your Arcanist’s Workbench to level 2. Then you can craft teleporters and freely place them on the map wherever you need them.
What do I need for teleporters? To craft teleporters at the workbench in pairs, you need the following resources:
9 x Azure Log: You can find it in blue forests
2 x Azure Kelp: You can find it in the water in blue areas
10 x Any Stone: Any type of stone you can find
Luckily, you will directly receive 2 teleporters from crafting, which you can link together.
How to use teleporters? You can freely place the teleporters like most items in the world. When you interact with a placed portal, you can assign it a name and specify where its counterpart should take you. You can change your target whenever you want, as soon as you have placed new teleporters.
How many teleporters can be crafted? Currently, you can craft up to 12 teleporters, but you must reach certain milestones to increase your limit. At the beginning, you can only craft 6 teleporters.
How to increase your limit will be explained in the next section.
Start video
Hytale feiert erfolgreichen Early-Access-Release mit 2,8 Millionen Spielern
How to increase the limit for the maximum number of teleporters
To be able to craft more than 6 teleporters, you need to first increase the limit. To do this, you need to collect “Memories.” In order to do that, you should follow these steps:
Go to the Forgotten Temple, you can recognize it on the map by a white circle
Interact with the monument in the center to unlock the Memories feature
Then look for various creatures and animals in the world and observe them for a while
If you discover a blue marker, you have collected the corresponding Memory and should find it in your inventory
Collect up to 48 Memories and bring them back to the monument in the Forgotten Temple
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In total, you can currently collect 240 Memories and earn various rewards. Upon reaching corresponding milestones, you will increase your teleporter limit as follows:
25 Memories: + 1 Teleporter
50 Memories: + 1 Teleporter
100 Memories: + 2 Teleporters
200 Memories: + 2 Teleporters
In Hytale, there are also some cheats and chat commands that can influence your world and the teleporters. What they are, how to use them, and what they provide, you can read in our guide: Hytale: All cheats and commands that you can use
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In League of Legends, champions are regularly adjusted. Often, overly strong characters are nerfed or too weak ones are buffed. Now, it affects one of the weakest champs in LoL, receiving a total of 28 changes, most of which are nerfs.
Why is she one of the worst champs? In League of Legends, each champion has a win rate that indicates how many games the champ wins. The average is approximately 50%, showing that a champion is more balanced. However, some have significantly higher or lower win rates, indicating that the respective champ is therefore too strong or too weak.
Currently, Mel has an average win rate of about 45% at almost every rank and is often found within the last six spots. At the highest ranks, namely Master and above, she even has a win rate of only 42.5% in her main role, the mid lane (leagueofgraphs.com).
Start video
League of Legends shows new trailer for Season 1 from 2026
Despite a poor win rate, Mel is severely nerfed
What changes are being made to Mel? Riot employee RiotEmizery posted on Reddit about Mel’s future. With the update on March 26, which is set to be released on February 4, 2026, according to the official LoL website, Mel will receive 28 adjustments.
We summarize the major changes here:
The attack speed will be slightly increased
The damage of her passive ability will be nerfed
Mel’s Q ability will take longer to cast, projectile speed will be slowed, the radius is smaller, and damage will be spread over time with the changes. However, the ability will cost less mana, deal more damage to minions, and deal more damage on the first hit of an explosion (which will be reduced with further hits).
During her W ability, Mel will no longer be immune and instead gets a barrier that protects her from some damage. Additionally, the movement bonus will be slightly increased and extended.
The E ability will also not be spared and will be nerfed with a reduced radius and spell range. However, projectile speed and damage will be slightly increased. Additionally, the duration of rooting will be set to a maximum of 1.5 seconds.
Why is Mel being nerfed so heavily? The Riot employee directly gives a reason for Mel’s nerf. According to him, Mel causes frustration for those who play against her. He further states: “Our goals with these changes are that more players feel they can play Mel in a way that meets their expectations and that Mel players feel more competent and that their success is the result of their skill.”
Even in 2026, the mage will be banned by many players. Mel’s strength has been a major issue with the champion since her release in January 2025. Just two days after she was released, the first nerfs came: New champion in LoL is too strong, nerfed after just 2 days
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The developers of Dune: Awakening have declared war on their empty servers in the new patch 1.2.40 and finally give players the chance to move.
How is it going with Dune: Awakening? After the huge success of Dune: Awakening 2025, player numbers have been declining for some time. This results in many servers being as empty as the deserts of Arrakis, with only a few servers hosting many players.
Until now, moving was not possible without starting all over again. Anyone who has been diligently managing their base and dutifully paying taxes for months will likely stop playing rather than leave everything behind and start over.
For this reason, the developers have been working in recent months to develop tools that make it possible to switch servers with all items, and the most important feature has now been released.
[toc]
Here you can see what comes into play with the new update from Dune:
Start video
Dune: Awakening shows Chapter 3 and the free content update in the trailer
New tool against empty servers
What kind of tool is this? After the developers released a tool months ago that allows you to pack and move your own base along with items, there is now the second important tool in the repertoire.
This is the server transfer feature, which has now been unlocked with patch 1.2.40. From now on, it is possible to transfer a character along with their inventory, 3 bases, the contents of the bank, and money to another server and Sietch. The starting process can easily be initiated through the server menu.
Before starting, the developers warn that you should first pay attention to the following steps:
Make sure to secure your base with the base reconstruction tool. Also, remember that you can save up to three bases in the tool.
If you transfer your base or bases without securing, they will be left behind!
Secure your vehicles as well with the vehicle backup tool.
Larger vehicles that do not fit into the VBT can be dismantled using the blowtorch and the parts stored in your bank or your base storage. Therefore, it is all the more important to remember to secure your base!
If you exceed the vehicle limit of the VBT, you can also dismantle additional vehicles from your fleet and store their parts!
Save all other valuables in your inventory and in the bank, as their contents will be transferred along with your character.
Finally, make sure that your character is located in the Hagga Basin before you start the transfer. You cannot initiate the process if your character is not on this map.
If you follow the steps as preparation, you can fearlessly switch to a more populated server. The website dune.gaming.tools can help, showing which servers are really popular.
Dune: Awakening Patch Notes 1.2.40 in English
The patch notes for patch 1.2.40 are only available from the developers in English at duneawakening.com. We have translated the patch notes into German with the help of the Gemini AI so you can read them here:
Highlights
You can now transfer your character, your inventory, secured bases and vehicles, as well as bank contents (including your Solari) to a new Sietch and a new world. Read more about this feature below under New Features: Character Transfers.
You now have to enter text as confirmation to “forget” a secured base in the base reconstruction tool to prevent accidental deletion.
Features & Changes
New Feature: Character Transfers
Players can now move their character, their inventory, and bank contents (including Solari) to a new Sietch and a new world. The transfer can be initiated through the server browser or the system menu in the game.
IMPORTANT: Make sure to secure your base/bases with the base reconstruction tool and your vehicle(s) with the vehicle backup tool before starting the transfer!
The character must be in the Hagga Basin to initiate the transfer.
Retained items:
Inventory and bank contents.
Solari balance.
Contents of the vehicle backup tool and the base reconstruction tool.
Note: A list of important items that will be lost is displayed before confirmation. Players must take note of the limitations and manually input text to proceed.
If the character’s name on the target server is already taken, the player will be prompted to enter a new name.
A loading screen will be displayed during the transfer; the player cannot leave this until the process is complete.
Upon completion, the player will be informed that they can join the new server.
The transferred character spawns at Griffin’s Reach in the Hagga Basin on the new server.
Important notes:
Each player has 1 transfer token, which refills automatically 7 days after use.
Leaving the process or session cancels the transfer.
Transfers are final; switching back requires a new transfer.
If technical problems occur, the system will automatically try to either complete or reverse the transfer.
No other character transfers can be initiated on the account while a character is “in transfer”.
Resources, Building, and Crafting
You now have to enter text as confirmation to “forget” a secured base in the base reconstruction tool to prevent accidental deletion.
User Interface
“Place Blueprint” and “Forget Blueprint” in the base reconstruction tool user interface have been changed to “Place base backup” and “Destroy base backup”.
The positions of the user interface for “Destroy Base Backup” and “Snap To Origin” in the vehicle backup tool have been swapped.
Bug Fixes
Resources, Building, and Crafting
A problem was fixed where some resources were dropped on the ground when canceling large craft queues, even though there was sufficient space elsewhere in the inventory cycle to store them.
A problem with the sandstorm damage mitigation of carrier cargo containers was fixed, which caused them to be destroyed very quickly. The containers should now be significantly more resilient against sandstorms.
Fixed that bases could not be placed near building restriction zones with the base reconstruction tool.
Fixed that bases could not be placed with the base reconstruction tool if a blocking volume was vertically too close to the land claim.
Vehicles
A problem was fixed where strapped vehicles sometimes did not appear when returning to the Hagga Basin with the Ornithopter Transporter.
User Interface
A typo in the holographic force shield has been fixed.
Interactions between players in ARC Raiders can be aggressive, but they can also appear peaceful. The latter is demonstrated by a user who wants to help an allegedly older gamer in the shooter. However, the attached clip of the interaction takes a tragic turn.
What did the interaction between the two players look like? User cagegang showed the ARC Raiders community on Reddit that he encountered a friendly older gentleman in the shooter. Based on his voice, he estimates him to be on the older side.
The person he met seemed pleased to see another friendly player, as he was immediately shot by others he greeted. But “that’s life,” as he himself says in the clip.
To support the suspected grandpa, cagegang wants to give him a blueprint that he himself doesn’t need. The older player initially refuses to accept it, as he feels he has nothing to offer in return and generally doesn’t expect to survive until the end. However, cagegang insists and waits until the older gentleman accepts the gift. They then wish each other good luck and go their separate ways.
The harmless and friendly interaction could have already created a nice feeling. However, this was not the end of the clip. The described encounter with the grandpa was not the last.
Start video
Matchmaking in ARC Raiders: „Ratten“ könnten euch in PvP-Lobbys befördern
The community and the player realize that friendly gestures alone cannot save
How did the story of the two players end? Cagegang shows in his clip that he later encountered the grandpa again. However, at that point, he was no longer able to communicate with him. The helpful player had to tragically realize that two Pops had taken the man out.
Pops are small, rolling machines that explode and cause high damage.
The user had no choice but to take the rest of the loot for himself, including the gift he had left for the older person. Apparently, the grandpa was right at the beginning of the conversation. He simply wasn’t meant to make it far.
Here you can watch the entire clip:
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How does the community react to the tragic ending? The community appreciates the player’s help but is also frustrated that cagegang didn’t decide to accompany the grandpa. He himself deeply regrets this, as he admits on Reddit: “That really hurt a little… I should have kept him company.”
“I’m just logging in to kill as many Pops as possible in retaliation,” writes Astro_Addict. But Baby-Soft-Elbows also wants to avenge the kind man: “In honor of Grandpa, no Pops will see the next sunrise in the next 24 hours. Rest in peace, grandpa.”
Microsoft CEO Nadella talks about artificial intelligence. According to him, it must be used for something meaningful, otherwise the public will be dissatisfied.
AI is playing an increasingly important role and is becoming indispensable in some areas. However, AI also consumes immense amounts of energy to provide the necessary computing power.
Satya Nadella, current CEO of Microsoft, recently spoke in an interview at the World Economic Forum about artificial intelligence. You can watch the entire interview on YouTube.
Select a MMO video…
Society does not accept when energy is wasted through AI unnecessarily
In the interview, Nadella said that the public expects something useful to be done with AI. Since AI would consume large amounts of energy, this must ultimately be justified in some way. He said:
We will quickly lose societal acceptance for using a scarce resource like energy to generate these tokens if these tokens do not improve healthcare, education, public sector efficiency, and the competitiveness of the private sector in all areas, big or small, right?
[…]
People need to say: “Oh, I acquired this AI capability and am now a better provider of a certain product or service in the real economy.”
Nadella also mentioned a specific example of what he would consider useful: If a doctor has more time for his patients thanks to AI, that would be an important advancement:
If a doctor can spend more time with the patient because AI takes care of transcription and enters the data into the EMR system as well as the correct billing code, so that the healthcare industry ultimately works better for the payer, the provider, and the patient – then this is an outcome that I believe we can all benefit from.
You can currently increase your buddy level in Pokémon GO really easily. With a certain item, it gets even better.
Currently, the “Buddy Class” event is taking place in Pokémon GO. Here, you can not only get a Shiny Goldeen more easily and receive Shiny Fidough for the first time, but also evolve some monsters faster, which usually require more time-consuming tasks.
But even buddy Pokémon that you don’t want to evolve can benefit greatly from the event, especially if you use a certain item.
Start video
Pokémon GO shows its new season in the trailer
Make use of time, save time
Why do buddy Pokémon benefit? The number of hearts you can get with your buddy is increased during the event. For example, if you usually receive 1 heart for taking a snapshot with your buddy, you receive 2 during the event.
If you complete various tasks throughout the day, you can earn a significant amount of additional hearts. This means you can bring your monsters to the rank “Best Buddy” much faster.
What item should be used? To earn even more hearts with your buddy, you need to put the monster into the “excited” status. This can be done by interacting with your buddy for an extended period of time. It becomes easier if you have and use the item “Poffin”.
This will put your buddy immediately into the special mode and you can earn many more hearts. A user on Reddit shows that he managed to earn a whopping 42 hearts with his buddy using the mode during the event.
During the event, you can earn 6 hearts in each category that brings you hearts with your buddy, when the Pokémon is “excited”. Additionally, you only need half the regular walking distance to earn candies with a monster in this mode, even outside of the event.
In a self-test, I gave a monster in the event a Poffin, played with the Pokémon, and took a snapshot. This resulted in a substantial 14 hearts without much effort.
How to obtain Poffin? Poffin is one of the rarer items in Pokémon GO. You cannot obtain the item at PokéStops or through raids. As a reward, you can only receive it through limited special research or the GO Pass.
In the current GO Pass, you receive a Poffin at level 31. If you have the Deluxe variant of the pass, you receive even 2 copies.
Additionally, you can obtain Poffin in the in-game shop. You need to spend 100 PokéCoins for each Knursp.
Besides the buddy event, there are several other contents waiting for you this month. If you want to know what those contents are, what you can expect, and when they are active in the game, feel free to check our overview with all events in January 2026 in Pokémon GO.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Palworld celebrates its 2nd birthday with a new video. At the end, it shows that a long-held player wish will soon come true.
What is that wish? Since the release, there has been a gigantic tree in Palworld, located in the north of the map. It can be seen from afar, but is still unreachable. As soon as you fly to it, you hit an invisible wall.
Many players have already tried to reach it, as can be read on Reddit. The MeinMMO team also tried to fly there – without success.
The development team of Pocketpair has already confirmed that they want to turn the world tree into a functional area at some point. It is supposed to be accessible for the end of the story. As a new video for the 2nd anniversary now shows, this tree seems to finally be within reach.
Start video
Palworlds Update 0.7 brings many changes for the Quality of Life and a collaboration with a shooter
Tree in Palworld will soon become a new area
What is shown about the tree in the trailer? The Head of Publishing & Communications, Bucky, hosts the video. Towards the end, he interrupts his sentence and believes he hears a whale. The video shifts to a glowing, flying whale-pal, heading straight for the gigantic tree. The tree is still its own island, but it is particularly glowing in the video.
After that, it is shown that the release of the full version will still take place in 2026. Players will therefore be able to enter the gigantic tree sometime this year, which they have only been able to observe from afar so far.
If you want to watch the video yourself, you can do that on YouTube:
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What do players say about that? In the comments, many players are excited that they will finally be able to reach the tree. One user writes that he has been trying to get to this tree since the release. He apparently even managed to get through the barrier at some point and land on the island. However, according to his statement, it is empty. But he already knows that he will build his new base on this island.
What else is shown in the video? The video also introduces new pals that will appear in the game with the full release. Especially one swordfish has captured the community’s attention, as it takes its name literally.
The fish can actually pull its head along with the spine out of its body and then use it as a weapon. It is thus essentially a sword that can be drawn from its sheath.
With the latest models, Games Workshop has introduced female Adepta Custodes for the first time in Warhammer 40,000. What has been on fans’ minds for almost 2 years is now causing heated discussions. MeinMMO editor and Warhammer expert Benedict Grothaus believes that the Custodes themselves are not the problem, but how they were introduced.
Since Friday, there has been a major topic in the community: the new female Custodes in Warhammer 40,000. With the New Year’s preview on Friday, January 16th, Games Workshop has officially shown Custodes minis with female heads for the first time.
As a fan of the hobby, the world, and the minis, I think the new models are really great. The detailed bolter spears alone (Hello?!) almost convinced me to put my beloved Sororitas aside for a while. However, regarding the lore side, I have to agree with the other fans who are currently outraged.
If you don’t know what this means exactly: the Adeptus Custodes are the elite guard of the Emperor of Mankind and the only soldiers in the Imperium that – aside from Primarchs – are even more powerful than Space Marines. They serve as the Emperor’s personal guard at the Golden Throne and are only subordinate to the Emperor himself.
Just like the Astartes, they are genetically modified, bred superhumans with almost god-like superpowers. And just like the Astartes, who consist only of men, the Custodes are also an all-male unit. At least that’s what was assumed until now.
In 2024, Games Workshop then claimed that there have always been female Custodes, even though they had never been seen until then. There is even a new official post about it (on Warhammer Community). Some fans felt almost tricked by this change. However, the situation is a bit more complicated.
Start video
Die neuen Modelle der Adpetus Custodes für Warhammer 40.000 und The Horus Heresy für 2026
Do female Custodes lead to less focus on established power women?
The strong criticism comes from a rather small part of the community, while the larger part mocks the uproar, posts memes, or simply discusses it rationally. However, this does contribute to an overall large discussion.
But what are people actually upset about? Even though the discussion is often reduced to the point that men feel attacked, this is a very one-sided view. Because that is not the case, at least not for the most part.
As can be seen in the comments here on MeinMMO, as well as in many comments on Reddit, the topic is mainly heating up the emotions of lore fans. Reader Neni states:
I think the new Custodes models are great (except for the legs, which look too bulky to me). Lore-wise, however, it’s a disaster to introduce female Custodes after almost 50 years of established lore and to claim they have always been there. Why the established Sisters of Silence are not being developed is a mystery to me.
Women who are on par with the Custodes are – in theory – the assassins of the “Sisters of Silence.” They are “naturally” mutated, not genetically altered, and although they are not as martial as Custodes, they also have a specific area of expertise. Both troops are not intended to be used extensively in wars.
Many players, however, realistically just use the most powerful units in the game. If these models become more popular, more will be produced, and in the past, it has happened that unpopular armies were reduced. Games Workshop has stopped models when they did not sell enough. Therefore, some players’ fear of losing something is based on experience.
The Sisters of Silence are a female order of “Blanks” and specifically fight psychers.
Absolute freedom is not always what one should strive for
One could argue that this way there is freedom of choice. That may also be true, but it was already not a problem to adjust one’s armies according to personal wishes, and it has often happened. Just look at the bright pink Space Marines, who enjoy great popularity.
However, limitations provide character and even promote creativity. When I am limited in my options, I have to think more about how to achieve what I want. Personally, I like to see limitations not as restrictions, but as guidelines for possibilities.
Moreover, Warhammer 40,000 is a dystopian world full of stark extremes and contrasts. There are no “good” people, war reigns everywhere, and the Imperium is a military autocracy. That there are limitations here is simply part of the narrative.
A large part of Warhammer lore is intentionally kept vague. Games Workshop tends to be reticent and does not release specific information; much “knowledge” comes from the world and is based on the current state of research of the Imperium.
The lore is thus more flexible; some “retcons” or retroactive changes to the past can be explained with new insights in the world. However, the situation with the Custodes is different:
In the early rulebooks, it is stated that the recruits of the Custodes are selected from the “sons of the noble houses.”
However, Games Workshop has simply claimed that nowhere has it ever been stated that women cannot become Custodes.
Both statements are correct. Just because an imperial text states that sons are selected does not mean that only men are trained, and even if it does, it does not state that it is not possible for women. The specific wording here is important.
However, it is known about the Astartes, that women would not survive the process of creation. As the Custodes are comparable super soldiers, it would seem that the same applies here – exactly what Games Workshop makes clear in the new blog post. The problem is that the creators had never commented on this before.
Most Custodes wear helmets. Therefore, it cannot be said whether there are men or women in the armor.
The minor mention diminishes the impact of a significant change
Retcons have occurred frequently in Warhammer’s history and have enabled some of the coolest armies – Necrons, for example, who were massively changed for the 5th edition. Originally, they were mindless slaves of the C’tan, their (now) fallen gods. Today, they are perhaps the most powerful species in the galaxy.
When such retroactive changes come with cool lore justifications, they are rarely a problem. However, Games Workshop completely missed this with the female Custodes and deprived players of a potentially cool moment.
That women can become super soldiers is not excluded. Research is officially at a standstill at Warhammer 40,000, but the Adeptus Mechanicus is continually working on new possibilities in all areas.
Cool models and great possibilities are being lost in the discussion
If one of the high magi of the Mechanicus or an Apothecary of the Astartes had simply found a way to turn women into super soldiers, it would have opened up completely new paths and could have been accompanied by books and codices. As it is, the whole situation is simply a disheartening footnote, with female Custodes being a side note somewhere in imperial writings.
This is especially regrettable because the models really look good. I’ve even read more frequently on Reddit that some fans want to sell their current Custodes to get the new ones, because they just have more details.
New information makes it clear that there could soon be even more specializations in World of Warcraft . Healing mages or tanking warlocks …
In World of Warcraft, Patch 12.0 is now live, introducing the Pre-Patch of Midnight. This brought some major changes that we have introduced to you here. One new addition is the introduction of a new specialization for demon hunters, the Devourer. However, Blizzard seems to be planning more specializations – a leak has made this clear. A survey asking what individual players think of the proposals has circulated in the past few days.
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WoW Midnight shows gameplay – All new features
What is this survey about? From time to time, individuals are selected by Blizzard to participate in surveys. Almost always, they are asked to keep the things mentioned in the survey confidential – but this almost never succeeds. This time, the survey found its way through the WoW subreddit into the public domain.
10 good ideas, but the lich wins
What specializations were considered? During the survey, participants were asked to select one of the following ideas that they found most interesting:
Tank Shaman: Master of the Earth Element, conjures rocks as physical shields or shatters them against enemies.
Tank Rogue: Based on parrying and dodging, heals with potions and weakens attackers with poisons.
Tank Warlock: Wields shield and mace, summons demons to use their life essence as a shield or send against enemies.
Healer Mage: Uses arcane energy to reverse time and heal wounds. With elemental magic, damage can be prevented before it occurs.
Healer Hunter: Utilizes melee and ranged attacks to distribute bandages and potions to those in need alongside their companion. Runs across the battlefield to provide first aid while the pet supports.
Support Priest: Blesses allies with Inner Fire, increasing their combat power. Enemies are punished with divine pain, building divine power that can then be used for strong finishers.
Support Paladin: Performs holy rituals to channel the Light and grant allies powerful blessings, increasing their strength and resilience in battle.
Ranged Monk: Overcharges their inner spirit to shoot Chi in the form of lightning and sharp projectiles.
Ranged Priest (Holy): A spellcaster who uses holy light and raging flames to purify enemies from a distance. Can rise into an angelic form that shoots radiant magic, attacking whole rows of enemies.
Ranged Death Knight: Unleashes the power of a lich to attack enemies with necrotic magic and frost, tormenting their souls. Summons corrupt phantoms, grasping hands, and chains of ice while outsmarting his own death with a phylactery.
Keep in mind that these are only statements from the survey. This does not mean that these specializations are actually in development or that we will definitely see them. They seem to be merely ideas that are being explored.
Why more specializations? Specializations are significantly easier to create than entirely new classes – for which multiple specializations would have to be provided immediately. In WoW’s history, there has been a recurring desire to explore new paths with existing classes. This was something that was also experimented with in the “Season of Discoveries” of WoW Classic and was well received there.
